Orzotto with Wild Mushrooms and Scallops

Wash and dry the mushrooms and then cut into approximately equal pieces not too small. Melt a good tablespoonful of butter in a pan, add the mushrooms and cook for three or four minutes. Season withb some black pepper and a couple of pinches of salt. Chop the parsley and stir a couple of tablespoonfuls into the parsley and put to one side  Picture  .

Peel and finely chop the shallots, add to a saucepan along with a tablespoonful of butter and cook until the shallots are soft but not brown. Add the pearl barley and a glass of white wine to the saucepan and stir for a few minutes until the wine has reduced. Then just as for a normal risotto, add ladles of stock and stir until the pearl barley is tender which will take about 30 minutes.

Stir in a couple of tablespoonfuls of butter and of parmesan and season with salt and fresh pepper. Stir in the mushrooms and gently heat through.

Meanwhile, season the scallops with salt and preferably white pepper and sear for a couple of minutes on each side in a little butter. Melt a couple of tablespoonfuls of butter in a small saucepan and stir in a couple of tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley.

When the scallops are ready, spoon the orzotto on to serving plates, put the scallops on top and drizzle over a little parsley butter and serve  Zoom  .